Mission Statement

The Bay Area Leadership Foundation provides college readiness tools, resources and support to underserved, low income and high potential high school students to help them succeed in high school, college and beyond.

Main Programs

Academic, College, and Career Exposure for Student Success Program (ACCESS)

Keywords

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Also Known As

Bay Area Leadership Foundation

EIN

68-0482517

Number

1659665949

Contact

See more addresses

Main Address

PO Box 3883

Oakland, CA 94609 USA

Cause Area (NTEE Code)

Scholarships, Student Financial Aid, Awards (B82)

IRS Filing Requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990-N.

Programs + Results

How does this organization make a difference?

Overview

Self-reported by organization

We support students who may not have the resources to pursue a college education reach their full potential. BALF offers mentoring, life skills development, guidance through the college access process, and help securing college funding. Since 2001, we have provided support for college to students in the East and South Bay.

Programs

Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Program 1

Academic, College, and Career Exposure for Student Success Program (ACCESS)

We achieveour goals primarily through the Academic, College, and Career Exposure forStudent Success Program (ACCESS). ACCESSis a program for high school students from the 10th to 12th grade that focuseson high school success and the promotion of a love for learning that will leadstudents to college careers. ACCESSstudents receive personal and academic skill development, college tours andcareer-related field trips, and one-on-one mentoring.

Studentsare recruited and qualified by Foundation Academic Mentors, who are teachersthat we engage in our selected districts. Our scope is modest, and we arecareful to manage the number of students in the program, in order to deliverquality guidance and personal attention.

Studentsand parents complete a rigorous application process, followed by an orientationeach fall. Once accepted, students are required to meet daily after school withtheir mentor for homework assistance, individual and group tutoring, and help withcollege application. Foundation staff conducts site visits and check-ins withthe mentors, students, and families.

OneSaturday a month from September to June, we convene students for a skillsworkshop, college tour, or activity. Topics include SAT preparation,presentation skills, business simulation, or professional communications. Boarddirectors design and execute these business simulations in which student arepresented with a business problem to solve as a team.

Upon graduation from high school and our program,students are eligible to receive a maximum of $26,000 in gap funding over 4years from BALF. While limited by staff capacity we strive to stay close,particularly in the first critical year of college. The ACCESS Program is our core work, We are dedicated to building college-completion cultures and helping first-generation, low-income and minority students graduate.

The lack of pre-collegiate preparation of potential college students often is cited as one of the most significant barriers to higher degree completion. College completion is a critical input for individual labor market success and economic growth, but more importantly, a vehicle to break the chain of poverty and despair among lower-income and minority young adults in impacted areas here in the Bay Area.

Program long term success

Education is the single best investment a society can make. Broadly, over the past decade, the U.S. has fallen from leader to 12th place in the ratio of young people with the equivalent of a bachelor's degree, well behind Russia, Canada, Korea and Japan. In 2008, the education achievement gap cost between $1.3 trillion and $2.3 trillion in lost gross domestic product, because "American workers are, on average, less able to develop, master and adapt to new productivity-enhancing technologies," a recent McKinsey & Co. report concluded.

Worse, and urgently here in the most economically-impacted communities in the Bay Area, young people, particularly of color, are falling even further behind, perpetuating a cycle of dead end career and productive social potential. We must address this growing problem in our community.

We believe that with the proper academic coaching, appropriate exposure and opportunities, and life skills development, these students that can fall through the cracks will thrive in high school, and in most cases, become the first in their families to graduate from college. This will have a positive impact on individuals, families, and their communities.

Program success monitored by

Successful completion of the ACCESS Program is measured against these key indicators:

The ACCESS program also utilizes the Self-Assessment Guide for Career Academics and other professional development, evaluation, and supportive services developed by the Career Academy Support Network at UC Berkeley.

Outcome data is utilized by compiling snapshots over time, year-to-year changes, and relating program characteristics to student achievement.

Mentors and Foundation staff closely monitor student progress over the course of program involvement.

We employ a high-touch, long-term approach, through continued contact and check-ins with college students and intervention, when necessary, to course-correct their academic career.

Program success examples

The ACCESS Program is a hands-on program that directly supports the positive development of young adults in impoverished communities. BALF offers college preparedness programs, mentoring, and financial support to help under served students realize their dreams of attending college. Our goal reaches beyond college graduation rates -- we encourage our students to return to their communities as leaders to give back and help others. Students who participate in our programs graduate to become productive members of their local communities, and in turn give back their time and resources to the next generation of students.

We get results. Thirty high school students enrolled in the program for that period in the Oakland, Pittsburg, Richmond, and San Jose school districts. In 2010, 18 students graduated successfully from the ACCESS Program preparing to enter college in the fall of 2011.

2010 also marked the largest number of students attending college at one time in the Foundation's 10-year history, with 39 students enrolled.

Category

Youth Development

Population(s) Served

Youth/Adolescents only (14 - 19 years)

Young Adults (20-25 years) -- currently not in use

Budget

Service Areas

Self-reported

California

The California counties of Alameda, Contra Costa and Santa Clara.

External Reviews

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Financials

Financial information is an important part of gauging the short- and long-term health of the organization.

Principal Officer

Ms. Marcy Straw

Governance

BOARD CHAIR

James Seay

Hewlett Packard

Term: Nov 2013 -

BOARD LEADERSHIP PRACTICES

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about essential board leadership practices.
Self-reported by organization

RESPONSE NOT PROVIDED

BOARD ORIENTATION & EDUCATION

Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations?

RESPONSE NOT PROVIDED

CEO OVERSIGHT

Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive
within the past year?

RESPONSE NOT PROVIDED

ETHICS & TRANSPARENCY

Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and
completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year?

RESPONSE NOT PROVIDED

BOARD COMPOSITION

Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that
results in diversity of thought and leadership?

RESPONSE NOT PROVIDED

BOARD PERFORMANCE

Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance
within the past three years?